Peter Ostrum Mourns The Death Of Gene Wilder

Written by: Monojit M

Published: Wednesday, August 31, 2016, 14:20 [IST]

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Renowned actor Peter Ostrum, who portrayed the character of Charlie opposite the famous character Willy Wonka played by Gene Wilder, mourns the death of his late friend and co-star, stating that his demise is almost like "losing a parent".

Gene Wilder, who breathed his last on Sunday, had left Ostrum in a state of shock from which Ostrum is still recovering and says he misses his late friend and co-star very much now.

"It's kind of like losing a parent. You know it's going to happen, but it's still a shock. He was not in good health at the end and it was not unexpected by any means, but when it happens, it hits you like, 'Gene is gone and there will never be anyone like him again'," Peter Ostrum said.

However, Ostrum admitted that he had not met Wilder, since they made the movie together Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, in the year 1970, but he also said that he still carries some fond memories, "During lunch, Gene and I would always buy a chocolate bar and share it on the way back to the set."

"He was so quirky, you never knew what to expect from Gene. He never let on how he was going to read a line or convey an expression. That's why the film works because he made Wonka so unpredictable," said Ostrum.